In the 'Nick' of Time
by fhsdrumline08
Summary: Sequel to Strength of a Woman Nick and Sam are movoing along with their family. Will someone stop it or will they be caught in the 'Nick' of time?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **In the 'Nick' of Time

**Summary: **Sequel to Strength of a Woman. Nick and Sam are moving forward their family. Will someone stop it, or will they be caught in the 'nick' of time?  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the CSI characters. I do own Samantha, Nick & Sam's child, and Jackson Weaver.

**A/N: **I do not have all of the chapters already written up for this story, so I really don't know when or how often I will be updating this. You don't have to read Strength of a Woman to understand this, but it really is recommended. I hope you all enjoy. Please remember to read & review!

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"Nicole Joan?"

"No."

"Grace Lynn?"

"No."

Nick flips the page, trying to find a name we both agreed on for our baby. I'm about eight months along now, and we still haven't picked out a name. It's hard to believe that it's been seven months since the whole kidnapping incident. Nick wakes up every morning, and after telling the baby good morning, tells me how glad he is that he didn't lose us that day. It's like he whole mess made him think about how lucky he is and how much there was to lose.

"Sam, didn't we find out the sex of the baby so we could pick out a name?"

"Yes, Nicky, but I'm not sure about any of those. I'm a procrastinator. This is what I do best."

"Sam,"

Nick says, as if he's a five year old whining to get what he wants.

"Nicholas Stokes, you're worse than a child."

The cell phone on the table rings.

"Don't answer it, Nick. It's probably work."

"Exactly."

He answers the phone, as I sigh, showing my contempt at Nick going to work on his day off.

"Griss, this is my first day off in like a month and a half. No….of course I understand my duties. I just wanted to spend the day with my wife. No….fine. Fine, I'll be there in ten."

Nick flips the cell phone shut and slides it into his jeans pocket.

"I have to…"

"Yeah, I know the drill. You have to go to work; do I want to go with you? Yes, I do."

I reach my arms out as Nick helps pull me off the sofa. I grab my purse, while Nick puts his coat on. About ten minutes later, our 2006 black Tahoe pulls up into the crime lab parking lot. Nick goes ahead to get his assignment while I stop and get my temporary visitors badge. I give the secretary a kind smile, and then continue. Cath walks up to me giving me a big hug.

"Sweetie, you look great! I remember when I was eight months pregnant with Lindsey. I didn't look half as good as you, nor could I be as active."

"I just couldn't stand being at home any more. I'm longing for some human contact."  
"Come on, then. Come talk to Sara and Greg, and everybody."

I follow Catherine down the hall into the lounge, finding items covered by a sheet.

"Mrs. Samantha Stokes,"

"Look at Greg, trying to be all professional."

"The Las Vegas Police Department crime lab would like to present you these gifts."

Greg and Warrick pull the sheets off of the items, revealing a changing table and crib, filled to the top with items.

"Oh, guys,"

I say, tears threatening to fall over the edge.

"Jim, Warrick, Nick, and Greg built the changing table, and put together the crib, while Sara, Sofia, and I all bought your baby lots of goodies."

"That's why Nick wasn't letting you buy any diapers or anything. We wanted to help you guys with everything."

"Thank you. Seriously, this helps get rid of some of our financial worries."

Warrick, who was like a brother to both Nick and I, hugged me.

"Come on, don't cry. Nick and Tine would both kick my ass for letting a pregnant woman cry."

We must've sat together and talked for hours. We all turn and look at the door as Grissom comes running in.

"Samantha, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?"

"Sure."  
I follow a very scared looking Gil into the hall.

"Griss, what's going on?"

"It's about Nick. Sam, Nick's missing."


	2. Ch 2: Strong Emotion

**Title: **In the 'Nick' of Time

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the CSI characters. I do own Samantha, Nick & Sam's child, and Jackson Weaver

**Summery:** Sequel to Strength of a Woman – Nick and Sam are moving forward with their family. Will someone try to stop it? Or can they stop them, in the 'Nick' of Time?

**A/N: Like I said before, I do not have all of the chapters written up. I have this one and one more written up and typed up. So far I know the story is sort of rough, but it's going to get better. FutureMissCSI60, thanks for your review. Trust me, not every chapter will have them being kidnapped.**

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I feel my heart just drop to the bottom of my stomach.

"What?"

"Nick was at the crime scene with a uniformed officer. The uni said someone came up behind him and hit him. When he came to, Nick was gone."

"Maybe he just left."

Griss guided me backward to some chairs and the two of us both sat down.

"Samantha, his Denali and his kit were still there. Nick didn't just leave."

Just as I'm about to breakdown, I see Cath, Warrick, and the others stick their heads out of the lounge door, looking at Grissom for an explanation of what's going on.

"Guys, Nicky's missing."

I say, trying to remain strong for my unborn child and for myself. Catherine immediately comes over and tries to calm me down.

"Sweetie, I'm sure Nick is fine. He's from Texas, remember that."

"Why does that matter?"

"Men from Texas are too damn stubborn to go down without a fight."

I give a nervous laugh, knowing that Cath is right: If and/or when Nick goes down, he's going down kicking.  
"Greg, Warrick, I want you two to go process the scene. Evidence relating to Nick is more important right now, though."

"Got it."

"Cath, I want you and Archie to review the security footage from the parking lot where Nick was. Anybody who came or went while he was there needs to be brought in."

"You got it."

"Sara, I want you to find out if any of Nick's recent cases involve someone who could and would hold a grudge."

As the four of them begin to separate, I turn to Grissom.

"Griss, I want to help."

"Sam, no, not in your condition. The stress is bad for you."

"Gil, my husband and father of my daughter is missing. I'm stressing out. I will continue to stress out until we find him and I know he is okay. Please, Griss. I'll do it in moderation. You can pull me off if you feel I'm becoming over involved."

He tosses the idea around for a few seconds. On one hand, Griss doesn't want to be responsible for me stressing out. On the other hand, he understands where I am coming from.

"Fine, but I will pull you off if I think it becomes too much. Just promise to take care of yourself and my goddaughter."

"I promise."

Gil helps me up then leaves as I head to help Sara. Jackson Weaver, a CSI who had grown up with Nick and I and had came up through the ranks with us, joins my side.

"Samantha, what's wrong?"

"Jackson, Nick's missing. Someone got him at a crime scene."

"That's terrible. Who's on his case?"

"Gil, Warrick, Catherine, Greg, Sara, and I."

"In your condition that's not safe."

I had known Jackson for a long time. Nick had insisted for years that Jackson had some kind of obsession for me, but I had just dismissed it as kindness.

"Jackson, I know you're just trying to be nice, but Nick is my husband, the love of my life, and the father of this little girl."

I say, smiling, and gently place a hand on my large stomach.

"My concern lies with my husband."

"Alright. Just be careful, alright?"

"Yes. I promise."

We walk in silence and eventually, Jackson leaves. Finally, I reach Sara.

"Samantha, can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"How did you know Nick was the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"

"I kind of always did since the beginning. Nicky was such gentleman from the moment I met him. He never pressured me to sleep with him, something that set him apart from every other man I've ever dated. When we went home to Texas, his mom told me that I was the first girl he had ever brought home to meet the parents. I'm a sucker for southern gentleman. Why?"

I look over at Sara and see her struggling with her words.

"Oh, sweetie. Are you and Gil going to get married?"  
I was one of two people who knew that Gil and Sara were together.

"He asked but I told him I wanted to think about it."

"Do me a favor and close your eyes. Imagine yourself somewhere where you are the happiest. Who are you with?"

"Gil,"

"Now imagine yourself on your wedding day, in a gown and everything. You're walking down the aisle. Who is standing at the end waiting for you?"

"Gil,"

It takes her a minute for the full impact of those statements to hit Sara.

"Oh my…..Sam. I want to marry Gil. I want to spend the rest of my life with him!"

I've never seen her as happy as she is now.

"Thank you so much."

"Not a problem. You two have both done a lot for Nick and I."

That's when I allow my mind to wander, something that, in this situation, is not a good idea.

"Sam, we're going to find Nicky."

I sigh, hoping she's right.

"I sure hope so, Sara."

Meanwhile, Nick was facing his own personal hell.

"Look, I don't know what I did to piss you off, but there has to be a better way to handle this."

Nick's mind and heart are filled with a type of panic. In his mind, he begins to worry about the baby and I. Nick had been the cautious papa since I told him I was pregnant and being away from me killed him.

"Come on, I have a pregnant wife at home."

"I know you do. Samantha is a wonderful woman."

The man steps into the light, revealing his face. Nick's gaze darkens and he is filled with anger.

"Jackson Weaver,"


	3. Author's Note

sorry to do this to you guys, my faithful followers. I have one more chapter written up, but after that, this story will probably be on indefenate hiatus. I want to continue this, but I seriously am at a deadend. 


	4. Ch 3: And Down Will Come Baby

**Title: **In the 'Nick' of Time

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the CSI characters. I do own Samantha, Nick & Sam's child, and Jackson Weaver

**Summary:** Sequel to Strength of a Woman – Nick and Sam are moving forward with their family. Will someone try to stop it? Or can they stop them, in the 'Nick' of Time?

**A/N: **This may or may not be the last chapter. If you have any ideas for something you want to see happen between the lovely couple, or even any ideas for a chapter, please review and let me know in that review. I will give you full credit in the recommended chapter.

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Nick, now knowing exactly who his captor is, is working his hardest to struggle free of the rope holding his wrists together.

"Jackson, I swear to you, you better hope that I don't get a hold of you, or I'll…"

"You won't do anything, Nick. You have a pregnant wife at home, remember?"

Jack says, with a sickening laugh.

"I should've known you'd do something stupid like this."

"You were the only person to notice how I felt about Samantha. She thought I was just a good friend, but you knew. I didn't mind you and Samantha dating. As long as that angel was smiling her gorgeous smile, I didn't mind. Then, Nick, you got her pregnant and married her. She's mine, Nicholas. Samantha belongs with me."

"Jackson, Sam is not an item. She's a person who can be with whomever she chooses."

"Yes, you're right, but I got to tell you, there is something even sexier about Sam now that she is with child."

Hearing Jackson talk about me like that, makes Nick want to kill him right then and there. He can feel his Texan temper, but knows if he wants to live, he must fight it. Back at the lab, Sara and I have been diligently searching through Nick's old cases for hours, with no result. Cath and Gil join us, having no better luck.

"Did you find anything?"

"nada."

"Sara, I want you to go help Greg and Warrick. Sam, go relax for awhile."

I walk into the hallway with Cath, but don't get very far when a sharp pain races through my stomach. I put my hand on the wall, waiting for the pain to pass.

"Sam, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it'll pass.'

We walk a little further towards Brass. The pain comes back, this time more debilitating. I fall to my knees, grabbing my stomach.

"Oh Cath, something's wrong."

Jim gets on the phone, calling for an ambulance.

"Don't worry, sweetie. It'll be okay."

The ambulance comes and takes Cath, who had become my birthing coach and I to the hospital.

"How bad is the pain, Mrs. Stokes?"

The doctor asks me in the emergency room.

"A nine or a ten."

The doctor checks my vital signs and leans back up.

"Mrs. Stokes, your baby is in distress. It could very well just be caused by stress, but we're going to give you some medication for the pain."

"Is the baby going to be okay?"  
"Probably, but to be safe, we'd like to hospitalize you for the remainder of the pregnancy, which should be about a month."

Hospitals scared me enough as it was, but to spend a months here, without Nick even, was almost too much to bear. Doctor Stegall comes forward, piercing my arm with the syringe as soon as Doctor Stegall injects the liquid, I become very drowsy. Before I pass out, I whisper to Catherine,

"Find Nick."

When I woke up the next morning, I somehow knew that both Nick and the baby were okay. Nick, however, was not so sure.

"Come on, Jackson. Let me go home and take care of Samantha."

"Nicholas, I have bad news about Samantha. Apparently, the news of your disappearance scared her so much that she almost miscarried the baby."

"Is she okay? Is she fine?"

Jackson doesn't answer. It is as if he feels that he caused me to almost lose the baby. With the way Jackson thinks he loves me, that thought terrifies him.

"I didn't…I didn't mean to hurt Samantha."

He picks up a shotgun that had been laying beside his feet on the floor.

"Whoa, Jackson, put the gun down."

"Tell her. Tell Samantha that I love her."

Jackson holds the gun up to his head and pulls the trigger, killing himself immediately. Nick somehow wiggles himself free of the restraints, and makes his way to the crime lab. Right now, he had only one thing on his mind, and that was to see me. After spending an exhausting two hours being processed at the crime lab, Nick headed towards the hospital, having cleaned up a little at the crime lab. He met Cath at the front door, and she pointed him towards my room. Nick carefully made his way into the hospital room, trying to hide the multitude of small cuts and scrapes on his face. Even though my back was turned to the door, I knew it was Nick.

"I picked out a name for our daughter."

I said my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah? What?"

"Grace Lynn Stokes."

Nick almost begins to bawl right there: Not just because he was worried, but because I had chosen a name that he had suggested for our child. I maneuver my body, so I'm facing him now, the tears gliding down my face. I motion for Nick to join me, and he soon does, sitting beside me, with one hand resting on me stomach.

"Sam, I'm sorry. You were right. I never should've left you alone, especially not while you're eight months pregnant."

"Nick, I was scared, more so than I have ever been before. Somehow, though, I knew. I knew you were okay. I knew this baby would be okay. Do you know that I almost went into labor again today?"

Nick's eyes filled up with panic.

"She's fine, now, but I could've lost Grace. I knew, though, that she'd be okay."

I look up at Nick and smile.

"Me, and you, and Grace…we'll all be okay."


End file.
